Genetic framework of Neogene–Quaternary basin closure process in central Turkey

Abstract

Central Turkey represents the only orogenic plateau in the Mediterranean region. Also, the largest closed drainage basin and the largest intracontinental basin of Turkey, the Lake Tuz Basin, is located in this region. Results from a three-dimensional (3-D) computer modeling study of the Lake Tuz Basin indicate a southward-deepening freshwater lake basin with great depth in the Mio-Pliocene, which regressed toward the north during the Plio-Quaternary into the shallow saline lake basin it is today. The spatio-temporal variations of Neogene and Quaternary deposits reflect the main effects of internal forces (isostasy>volcanism>faulting) that were caused by lithospheric slab breakoff and subsequent asthenospheric upwelling under central Turkey. Climatic change played a relatively minor role during these periods and was closely associated with the results of internal forces.

Late Pleistocene intraplate extension of the Central Anatolian Plateau, Turkey: Inferences from cosmogenic exposure dating of alluvial fan, landslide, and moraine surfaces along the Ecemiş Fault Zone

“…In the interior of Central Anatolia, structural and GPS data reveal predominantly extension with localized strike‐slip faulting during the Quaternary [ Şengör et al ., ; Çemen et al ., ; Jaffey and Robertson , ; Özsayın and Dirik , ; Ocakoğlu and Açıkalın , ; Genç and Yürür , ; Doğan , ; Kürçer and Gökten , ; Özsayın et al ., ; Aktuğ et al ., ; Gürbüz and Kazancı , ], in agreement with our observations. Structural and geomorphic indicators of extension are especially prominent along the Tuz Gölü Fault Zone [ Çemen et al ., ; Koçyiğit , ; Kürçer and Gökten , ; Özsayın et al ., ; Gürbüz and Kazancı , ], which is a conjugate structure of the Central Anatolian Fault Zone. Genç and Yürür [] and Aktuğ et al .…”

“…Although our findings and observations in the Ecemiş Fault Zone are very local, taken together with other observations of first‐order tectonic structures in Central Anatolia [ Erol , ; Görür et al ., ; Yetiş and Demirkol , ; Koçyiğit , ; Dirik and Göncüoğlu , ; Koçyiğit and Beyhan , ; Çemen et al ., ; Koçyiğit et al ., , ; Jaffey and Robertson , ; Dirik and Erol , ; Koçyiğit , ; Özsayın and Dirik , ; Ocakoğlu and Açıkalın , ; Özsayın and Dirik , ; Doğan , ; Fernández‐Blanco et al , ; Genç and Yürür , ; Kürçer and Gökten , ; Yildirim , ; Çiner et al ., ; Gürbüz and Kazancı , ] and the Taurides, [ Cosentino et al ., ; Schildgen et al ., , , ], they contribute to some regional implications. In the interior of Central Anatolia, structural and GPS data reveal predominantly extension with localized strike‐slip faulting during the Quaternary [ Şengör et al ., ; Çemen et al ., ; Jaffey and Robertson , ; Özsayın and Dirik , ; Ocakoğlu and Açıkalın , ; Genç and Yürür , ; Doğan , ; Kürçer and Gökten , ; Özsayın et al ., ; Aktuğ et al ., ; Gürbüz and Kazancı , ], in agreement with our observations. Structural and geomorphic indicators of extension are especially prominent along the Tuz Gölü Fault Zone [ Çemen et al ., ; Koçyiğit , ; Kürçer and Gökten , ; Özsayın et al ., ; Gürbüz and Kazancı , ], which is a conjugate structure of the Central Anatolian Fault Zone.…”

Contributions of biogeographical functions to species accumulation may change over time in refugial regions

“…A number of fresh-and brackish water lakes existed during this time in Anatolia and may have acted as suitable environments for Theodoxus (e.g. Denizli, Söke, Karacasu, Çameli, Eşen, Baklan, Acigöl, Burdur, Tuz and Çankırı: Alçiçek, 2010;Gürbüz & Kazancı, 2015;Yavuz, Culha, Demirer, & Aydın, 2017). At the end of the MSC, in the Early Pliocene, Anatolia became more isolated due to the rising sea level in the Mediterranean (Karakitsios et al, 2017;Popov et al, 2006;de la Vara, van Baak, Marzocchi, Grothe, & Meijer, 2016).…”

“…Increased precipitation sustained a high diversity of freshwater environments until the earliest Pleistocene (Alçiçek, 2010). Additionally, ongoing tectonic activity at that time strongly affected the physiography of some of the basins (Brocard, Meijers, Willenbring, Kaymakci, & Whitney, 2015; Gürbüz & Kazancı, 2015;Özsayin et al, 2014). For example, basin fragmentation probably led to divergence differences in the mollusc assemblages of two adjacent basins of Denizli and Baklan (Wesselingh & Alçiçek, 2010).…”

Paleoenvironments of the Cappadocia region during the Neogene and Quaternary, central Turkey

“…This plateau is represented by a semi-arid ( Fig. 1b) ~ 350 km wide and 1-1.5 km high region, surrounded by the Tauride and Pontide mountain ranges in the south and north, respectively, and is dominated by normal and strike-slip faults, and localized volcanism with a wide-ranging composition (e.g., Yıldırım et al 2011;Schildgen et al 2012Schildgen et al , 2014Lüdecke et al 2013;Çiner et al 2015b;Gürbüz and Kazancı 2015;Meijers et al 2018;Kuzucuoğlu et al 2019a). In and around the Cappadocia region, there are also numerous sedimentary basins (e.g., Lake Tuz, Erciyes, Derinkuyu, Dikme basins) developed during the Neogene and Quaternary periods with various size and type (e.g., Erol 1969;Toprak and Kaymakçı 1995;Görür et al 1998;Koçyiğit and Erol 2001;Gürer and Aldanmaz 2002;Ocakoğlu 2002Ocakoğlu , 2004Kazancı 2014, 2015;Özsayın et al 2019).…”